New Delhi, Jan 5: Gaurav Bhatia has resigned as Sotheby's India MD, nearly a month after he went on a leave of absence following allegations of sexual misconduct, the auction house said on Saturday.

Bhatia, who was the South Asia operations head and the driving force behind Boundless: India , Sotheby's maiden auction in the country, put in his papers on December 20, 2018.

Sotheby's Managing Director of India, Gaurav Bhatia, resigned on December 20th, 2018 after two years with the company, during which time he launched the inaugural Mumbai auction. We appreciate and thank him for his service, the auction house told PTI.

Bhatia, in a statement, said he had decided to move on after two successful years with the auction house.

After two enriching years and the stellar opportunity to launch Sotheby's inaugural auction in Mumbai, I have decided to move on. It has been a pleasure working with the great team we have built, and I will enjoy watching them continue to build Sotheby's future in India. I wish them the very best," he said.

According to the anonymous allegations against Bhatia that surfaced on social media, he touched the victims' inappropriately and forcibly tried to kiss them.

Bhatia was among the big names that were called out in the Me Too movement in the Indian art world, besides leading artists like Jatin Das, Riyas Komu and most recently Subodh Gupta.

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Mandla (MP) (PTI): Four men died after their motorcycle plunged off a dilapidated bridge in Madhya Pradesh's Mandla district, police said on Sunday.

The accident occurred near Bhainswahi village at around 8 pm on Saturday, Bijadandi Police Station House Officer (SHO) Anita Kudape said.

The four men were travelling from Paudi to Bhainswahi village when their motorcycle hit a pothole on the bridge. The rider lost control, and the two-wheeler plunged below, she said.

All four sustained serious injuries and later died, the official said.

The deceased have been identified as Pramod Kumar Nareti (24), Santalal Uikey (23), Shivam Yadav (25) and Gangaram (22), the official said.

The police registered a case and were investigating the incident.